Helmet mask

Object Details

Senufo artist

Label Text

Senufo horizontal masks are generally composites of carved animal parts--jaws, teeth, ears and horns. Most frequently seen are the muzzle of the crocodile, the tusks of the warthog and the long horns of the antelope or buffalo, as well as smaller representations of chameleons, birds and snakes. These combinations, often of mythic significance, are intended to impress and terrify. The masks are so powerful that contact with their dancers is believed hazardous and, for women, possibly fatal. They are used in rituals connected with agriculture, initiations and funerals.

This mask is heavily encrusted with clay and other substances, a feature atypical of Senufo masks but resembling the patina found on some masks of the neighboring Bamana of Mali. It does not show signs of wear, however, and may be the double of a mask made for use by a secret society. In the Poro men's society, a second mask is often commissioned to serve as a replacement for the ritually consecrated one in the event of mishap or theft. The doubles are usually not danced.

The task of deciding which identification is most likely is complicated by the lack of clarity in the literature regarding the origins, nomenclature, influences and characteristics of Senufo masks. The term "Senufo" is applied to nearly one million people, residing in three countries, who do not share a common cultural identity. The area has been the site of trading and migrations for hundreds of years. Furthermore, the use of style characteristics to identify the origin of a work of art often fails to account for variations in expression that may satisfy the creators or their patrons. Therefore we can say with assurance only that this mask is in a Senufo style and hope that further study will reveal more precise information.

Description

Horizontal tripartite helmet mask with a shallow cap, antelope horns, squared off open snout, flat foreward pointing horns on the forehead and a hornbill bird on the back of the head. Mask has overall even encrustation.

Provenance

Samuel Rubin, New York, before 1964 to 1979

Exhibition History

Gagliardi, Susan Elizabeth and Petridis, Constantijn. 2014. Senufo Unbound: Dynamics of Art and Identity in West Africa. Cleveland: Cleveland Museum of Art.

Life...Afterlife: African Funerary Sculpture, National Museum of African Art, Smithsonian Institution, Washington, D.C., November 19, 1981-March 1, 1982

Published References

Goldwater, Robert. 1964. Senufo Sculpture from West Africa. New York: Museum of Primitive Art; Greenwich: New York Graphic Society, no. 73.

National Museum of African Art. 1999. Selected Works from the Collection of the National Museum of African Art. Washington, D.C.: National Museum of African Art, Smithsonian Institution, p. 49, no. 28.

Content Statement

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Credit Line

Bequest of Samuel Rubin

Early to mid-20th century

Object number

79-16-17

Restrictions & Rights

Usage conditions apply

Type

Mask

Medium

Wood, encrustation

Dimensions

H x W x D: 19.3 x 21.0 x 60.5 cm (7 5/8 x 8 1/4 x 23 13/16 in.)

Geography

Burkina Faso

Mali

Côte d'Ivoire

See more items in

National Museum of African Art Collection

National Museum of African Art

Topic

male

Record ID

nmafa_79-16-17

Metadata Usage (text)

Usage conditions apply

GUID (Link to Original Record)

http://n2t.net/ark:/65665/ys7c12a346e-592a-442e-9096-7a5e5e07d96a